BLESSED.

Well, I ‘ve been back in the swing of things in Bali. There has been heaps of swell lately and this time of year up here gets super crowed so I have been lying pretty low and surfing all the out of the way spots and doing a bit of paddle boarding, trying to stay away from losing my mind with how many people froth-out up here.

We’re blessed up here, it’s official.

In Indo, twice a year all the locals get their cars and motorbikes blessed. Since I have been here for about a year now I thought I should get ours done. You can never be too safe on the roads over here!!!

Expect to see these boards flying all over the place when the local Canggu kids get hold of them.

I have also shaped up a 5′3 and a 5′7 for the local kids down at Canggu to share. Some of the kids really do surf good but are surfing on broken or super beat up boards so I wanted to give them a chance to really bring out their potential and give back a little bit to the local crew so I shaped up these boards and got them glassed at the local surf factory, REDZ.

I also had to spend about a week out of the water from an infected insect bite. Check out how bad it got. All better now.

J-Bay starts this week and it’s going to be the first time in about 14 years I haven’t been there for the contest or ASP meetings so I’m feeling a little sad I guess. I really do love the place, people and the wave. Well, life will go on and my life isn’t that bad! Hahaha.

‘Til next time: Live like there’s no tomorrow.

Jake the Snake

 

EURO SNAKE

 

For the last three or so weeks I have been in Europe.

I started in France (Hossegor) at the ISA world Junior Championships, run by Quiksilver. It was a long week with some great waves and some unbelievable surfing. I can tell you pro surfing is in great hands with some of the talent coming through from all different countries.

Some of the standouts in my eyes were, in the Under 18’s; Shaun Joubert from South Africa; the winner, Alejo Muniz from Brazil, who peaked right at the right time; and Owen Wright who blow away every other heat in the event and just fell short in the final.

Now to the Under 16 boys, and Holy Moly these kids were ripping!!! The winner was Tamaroa McComb from Tahiti who powered his way through to what was a pretty easy win in the end but little Peterson Crisanto from Brazil really showed he will be one to look out for in the future, another mention would go to Maxime Huscentot surfing for France.

I can also say that women’s pro surfing is going to be good hands as well with some of these girls already surfing good enough to mix it with the top pros. All in all it was a great event that Quiksilver puts on for all these kids, I think there were 27 countries and about 250 kids surfing in the event. Great job ISA and Quiksilver.

After France I was off to Italy (Rome) for a wedding and some sight seeing. As you’ll see from the pictures, some amazing churches and crazy architecture.

Some of the places I visited included; Cinque Terre, Positano …

… Rome …

… Pisa, Lucca, Orvieto, Florence …

… and Venice.

My favourites would have to be the Colosseum and Venice.

Venice is crazy how a city can live with no cars or bikes but boats!! Amazing!!!

All I can say is that I had a great time with the wife and I ate and drunk more pasta and red wine than I knew possible, and that the Ozzie dollar doesn’t go very far against the Euro!!!! Hahahahaha. Only because I’m a tight ass!!! Hahaha

Back to Bali now where I hear the swell is pumping!!!

Snake

STICKY WICKET FOR THE SQUEEZERS

Julian Wilson about to put one over the boundary.

The year is flying by, so I better give you a little update on what has been going on in my life.

I surfed in the Margaret River WQS event and only made through it the trials and lost in the first round of the main event which I was very disappointed about but I guess I will have to wait until next year to have another crack.

Every year while the Margaret River event is on, we play a game of cricket. I put together a team made up of surfers on tour and my local shaper Chris “Chapstar” Chapman puts together the local indoor cricket team.

Local boys “Squeezers” pose for a group shot with the “Blow Ins”

For the first four years we played indoor cricket but for the last two years we have played a 20/20 outdoor game. It’s the best fun, check out the shots above and this little video clip below.

Another “Blow Ins” victory becomes official.

After the Margaret River event I was off to South Africa to the Quiksilver Pro, Durban. I was there to commentate for the live web cast along with Martin Potter. Great event with some great waves and with the local boy Davey Weare winning the event there were some drinks had at the end of the week.

Now I’m back in Bali and for the last few weeks it’s been pretty much
pumping since I have been back. I have been surfing all over the place but mostly my local spot Canggu.

The new Yamaha.

What I’m pretty happy about at the moment is my new scooter I got last
Friday. Only for the back roads around Canggu because I don’t want to end up
road kill!!!

This is my new one (9′0 x 28 x 4). I can’t wait to get on it.

Well, I also have a new brand of paddle-boards that I’m making up here in Bali. So if anyone out there in web land wants to order one up, just send me a message to this blog with your email address and I will email you back.

Stay turned for more news coming soon.

Snake

WEDDINGS, BUCKS’, EASTER

 

OK, a lot has happened in the last few weeks!

I’ll go back to last week while I was in Sydney for the Jim Beam SurfTag team event. Well, one of our good friends Pete Crump had a heart transplant maybe only about a month ago, anyway Crump had a big dinner to thank everyone for the support and so on, and as you can tell from the picture above, everyone was having a pretty banging time.

After Sydney it was back up to the Gold Coast for Mick and Karrisa’s wedding. I won’t go into too much, but I had the best time. Some might say “All Time”. Here are the pics (above).

I’m back in Bali now and the waves have been super fun, even though I have been hung over for two days from Lee Wilson’s buck’s night … Crazy place for a buck’s night I can tell you!!! Anyway this picture was from Keramas two days ago.

I live in Canggu in Bali and there is this restaurant called Echo Beach and I eat there more then I should but it’s just a really fun place to go; the beer is always cold and the food is great and it’s right on the surf. Have a read of one of the black boards. It’s all about having a good time there.

s you know, Easter has just happened and I can tell you that when Bells started the other day it was the first time in over a year I really missed the tour! I mean I have been having a great time retired and all but when I watch the first round at 6 to 8 foot onshore Bells I really missed it!! (shot was taken first thing in the morning before it started to wall up). I used to love those conditions to compete in and normally did OK too, so what can I say, I wish I was there!!!

On the other hand I got to spend it with the family at a place called Ku De Ta, it was unreal for the kids and the Easter Bunnies were pretty good as well!! Haha.

Until next time,

Take it easy!!!

Snake

BOARD-RIDERS’ CLUBS & GOLF CLUBS

 

After arriving on the Gold Coast early for the ASP Banquet it was pretty full on for the whole two weeks.

©Joli

My role now with Quiksilver is to help out the contest director Rod Brooks in making the call every morning on whether the contest should run or not. So, it’s a long day normally; up super-early, in the dark most mornings, to assess the conditions and decide whether to run the men’s event or the women’s event, or to move the contest somewhere, or to have a lay day … It might not seem too hard but there’s a lot of pressure on you to make the right call at the right time. I also help out with the web commentary at the event which I really enjoy doing.

The Quiksilver Pro this year was sponsored by Corona and this picture pretty much tells the tales of the night to come after Mick finished 2nd to Kelly.

© globalsurftag.com

After Quik Pro, Taj and I took off to Sydney to surf in the Jim Beam Surftag event at North Narrabeen, to surf for our local club in WA, Yallingup Board-riders.

© globalsurftag.com

It was such a great event day and our team made the final but had a complete shocker and finished 4th. Hog and the North Narrabeen boys took it out. We’re frothing on next year.

I also got to have a game of golf with my old mate Tommy Whitz.

We both played really bad but have a look at what the 19th looked like. All time.

It’s Mick Fanning’s wedding this weekend so I will fly back to Qld and then on Monday morning it’s back to Bali!!!

Jake

Paintball & Pirates

It’s been pretty crazy up in Bali the last couple weeks, last week was a big religious holiday up here with the kids having three days off school in the middle of the week but the place goes pretty mad and there are parties in the street and all kind of strange stuff goes on.

All the locals have three days of ceremonies and make these things made out of bamboo and stick them out side there houses which turn all the streets into really cool run ways.

Also I had both my kids Max and Lucca having Birthdays. Always fun having the kids’ parties …

Max and his friend went paint balling and me being a big kid that I am had to go along and get amongst the action but all the little buggers ganged up on me and I was the only one that came out with welts. I did get one good shot on Max right between the eyes!!!

Lucca had a big party at our Villa with all her friends …

We hired these kids’ party people that make it so easy, with them taking care of all the activities like face painting, tee shirt paint, games with a pirate, a pi–ata, so she had a great day.

We also did a bit of the Terry Tourist thing and went and visited this really cool temple that you can get to on low tide and as you can see from the picture we didn’t time it too well.

The rain has stopped up here for the last week or so and the waves have been really fun, I have had some really fun sessions at Canggu and a couple sick of Stand up sessions as well.

Since I had a WA sunset in my last blog from my place there I thought I would give you a look at the sunset from my place up here in Bali.

Looking forward to going to the Quik Pro on the Goldie to see how the first leg of the tour kicks off. Pretty exciting with the new kids and Mick defending his title. Can’t wait.

Snake.

POOLSIDE, WESTSIDE

Also what happens in January is the good people at Estuary Marine in Mandurah upgrade Taj’ and my’ ski. Boom, this is our brand new ‘08 Model Yamaha Waverunner, Gee we are lucky kids …

I have arrived back in Bali and have been here for two days and really getting to know why they call it the rainy season this time of year. Some might say it’s been raining cats and dogs or even tarantulas but I would just say it’s been pissing down. Not much fun at all.

There haven’t been any real waves to talk of and the water is brown from all the water running out the river mouths. Let me take you back to the last week or so I was in WA …

The JP 5000 leader board.

Well I guess it all started with the JP 5000. Check out the leader board (above) and what Clouse had to eat with most nights (below).

… Hahaha.

I had a big party at my place for New Year’s and this picture is just when the sun was going down but you get the drift of what it was going to turn into!!! About 50 more people and a shitload more drinking!!!

Still semi-civilized, before festivities kicked on and the wheels fell off.

Anyway, after the New Year we had a great little summer run, lots of sitting around in the pool drinking beers and having BBQs, it was the best!

Poolside: Westside.

Best of all, most afternoons we were blessed with a sunset like this one below.

Shit I love WA…

Boom,

Snake.

EAGLES & DHU FISH

Well what a crazy season it turned out to be in Hawaii this year!!!!

Stoked for the Ozzie boys; Mick for winning the title, Bede for
winning Pipe and the Triple Crown, and Taj for finishing 2nd in the
title race.

The sun set on a great ‘07 season for the Ozzie boys.

It all just makes it way more exciting next year when you throw Dane
and Jordy in the mix.

I have been back in WA for about a week now and I have been having a
blast. I had my first ever eagle in golf the day I got back and have
been fishing up a storm with some great results as you can see.

WA Dhu fish is what we all fish for around these parts and I have caught 6 since I’ve been home so I’m one happy fish-o!!!

No real waves to talk about since I have been home, not that I surf
much this time of year anyway, it’s all about good times with BBQs
every afternoon.

I have good friends in Luke Hitchings and Jarrad Howse coming over for
New Years and the first JP 5000 Golf tournament that I have organized.
It’s just a bit of fun between the 3 of us but a lot of pride at stake.

I’m not heading back to Bali until the 11th of January so I’m trying
to make the most of being back in WA so stay turned for my next report
on all the good times …

Boom,

Snake

ROCK-ITIS

 Where do I start? So much has happened since my last blog.

Just before I left Bali I had a friends wedding which was a huge spin
out to see what a traditional Balinese Wedding was all about.

Now I’m in Hawaii and I’ve been here for about 10 days, pretty much
done everything already. Been into Waikiki longboarding with the
Quiksilver Young Guns team and hanging out with the Duke.

Snapped my new 6′6″, and have been playing heaps of golf but still
stinking it: best score so far was a 92.

“Rock-itis” is kicking-in and crazy stuff starts to happen. Check out
Shmoo’s new hairdo

.

HaHa, anyway, huge swell due for the end of the Haleiwa contest, I got in as an alternate but lost the first day I was here, bummed out. Hope I can get into Sunset.

Check out this crazy motorbike. The US has all like of freaky cars and bikes.

This is the view from my room at the Quiksilver house. I’m pretty
sure when the swell comes up over 10′ that water is going to wash
under my room.

FROM THE INDIAN TO THE PACIFIC

Well, I have had a pretty full-on couple of weeks since my last blog …

Balinese groms, always stoked.

In Bali I helped out the local boardriders club run their grommet contest which was pretty fun and they seemed to be really stoked to have me judge the whole day.

We are well and truly into Movember and I have been watering my Mo every day but there isn’t much to show for it.

I’m hoping to end up like these two dudes by the end of the month.

After the weekend it was back to Yallingup for a good friend’s wedding. Everyone loves a wedding, the bummer was I had to get up at 6:30 the next morning and head off to Hawaii because I’m on the alternate list for the WQS events and I have to be there first heat to put my name in and hope someone doesn’t show up.

How’s this for some airline damage for your surfboard. this is the board I beat Andy with in the Quiksilver Pro earlier this year. I’m pretty devastated. Life will go on!!!

Not real cool, because this will be my last season competing in Hawaii and I’m not even sure if I’m going to get in the events. I have had a pretty good run I guess in Hawaii. I think this will be my 18th season going to Hawaii and in that time I have had two 3rd place finishes at Haleiwa , have won Sunset twice, and the big one in 1998 winning the Pipe Masters. So the place has been good to me.

—

Well. I’m on my way to Hawaii so stay turned for how I hit the golf ball. Also, to answer a few of your comments from my last blog:

1 “thats a huge move jake! would want to be for a good/great cause…not many would take the risk of “bali” verses yals..? hope it works out great for ya” - Comment by brownie

I love living in Yallingup and only plan to live in Bali for a couple
of years so I will always be coming back to the house on the hill.

2. “Snake that looks like you are going away from the goals, so do they keep you permanently in the back pocket??? Bummer, ’cause l heard Judd left for the Magpies so there’s a spot up for grabs” -Comment by Kevin Sheedy

And to that Magpie supporter, I would never play AFL for the pies not
in a million years. Hahahaha.

3. “What’s Caangu like this time of year, Snake?” Comment by Anon.

Well, it’s getting really hot at the moment and the rainy season has just
started so it’s not really the best time of year but always good to go and
have a look at somewhere new.

- Jake